For PM Modi Meme, Comedy Group AIB Charged By Mumbai Police

Comedy group AIB has been accused of posting offensive content on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a complaint filed by the cyber cell of the Mumbai police. AIB has been charged under the IT Act with an offence that carries a punishment of up to three years in jail, besides a Rs. 5 lakh fine

The FIR or First Information Report has been filed by the cyber cell after "due legal consultation", said the police. The offense is "publishing and transmitting material which is lascivious or appeal to the prurient interest or if its effect is such as to tend to deprave and corrupt persons".

AIB had yesterday posted an image of a lookalike of the Prime Minister at a railway station, along with a photo of PM Modi with a Snapchat dog filter, captioned #wanderlust. The meme, seen as a dig at PM Modi's foreign tours, provoked strong reactions. AIB was accused of insulting the PM and hurting national sentiment.

The group deleted its post after a barrage of condemnation; one person urged the police to take action.